A True Servant's Loyalty Never Fades
by NightRrain
Summary: Inutaisho rescues a damned soul, a human child soul to be exact, and decides to raise her in his care. Though he may treat her like his servant, no one knows that he loves the child like his own. Sesshomaru is not too pleased that he will have to grow with a filthy human beside him. New boundaries of friendship are made between a demon and a human as they grow up together. *OC*
1. Chapter 1

**It** was a human, just a human for crying out loud! These ridiculous demands for him had to stop for good. He would understand if it was a demon terrorizing his lands but a human? No, this would be the last time he receives such news. And this was the such news; a human terrorizing Inutaisho's lands. Inutiasho has been receiving reports about a human reeking chaos throughout his lands for more than a year now. The reports consisted of the human stealing food and clothing, beating and assaulting people on the road and more famously known, for catching bandits herself but keeping and hiding the goods. And more recently the human has already killed two humans. The villagers became worried they would be next, so not taking it anymore they constantly bothered Inutaisho with reports of the human's doings. They begged and begged over and over in their reports to Inutaisho to kill the retched human already. Inutaisho had no other option, as he angrily ripped the last reports into shreds, he must waste his time in disposing of such a disposable being. As he walked out of his home he spotted his son in the courtyard practicing. He walked over to him and interrupted his practice.

"I must go, tell your mother I'll be back in three days."

"Seems such an awful long time to just kill a human, father. Will you be visiting your human lover again?"

Inutaisho clenched his hand in a fist by his side and replied coldly, "I am your father and you have no right questioning me."

* * *

**"Thief!"**

"You're a good-for-nothing, you hear?!"

"You scoundrel!"

Idiots, I do what I must to survive! Kasoti thought as she rounded a corner with a melon slipping out of her arm and onto the floor. She scowled as she spotted her melon roll away and adjusted the other two melons on her arms so those wouldn't run from her. She quickly side stepped a villager who lunged at her from her side but doing it so, caused another melon to bounce off her arm. With the last melon under one arm, she positioned the melon on her chest and hugged it for dear life. She was not going to let this one get away from her. With the melon and now safely secured she picked up her pace and escaped the angry village. But she didn't stop running, and she continued pounding her feet down the road until she entered a faded path into the forest. She ran for a couple of more minutes deeper into the forest and once she knew she was safe she stopped. Gasping deeply for air, she set her melon down on a patch of grass and threw herself beside it. She looked at the melon and began to laughing, knowing that this must be the biggest melon she had ever stolen. She didn't know why she would think she would be to able to steal two more and getting away with it when clearly she knew she couldn't. She ceased her laughing and patted the green ball.

"It seems as if I have really wasted my precious time."

Kasoti began to glare and moved the melon onto her lap and held it protectively. When the man made his presence known, Kasoti growled at him. "I'm not sharing my melon. You'll just have to steal one yourself if you want some."

"I don't steal, I buy or trade fairly."

Kasoti rolled her eyes at the demon, "Knowing you as a demon, you steal much more than I do for sure."

Inutaisho sighed, "I'm not here for melon, I'm here to end your thievery."

Kasoti's glare deepened and she replied to him, "If you're going to give me that little chat of how I must change my ways and blah blah blah, well it's not going to work! I am who I am!"

"Very well then," he said setting his hand on his sword, "I'll shall end your life to make everything much simpler."

"Fine," Kasoti said defeated and rolled the melon to his feet, "take the stupid melon back to the village. I didn't really feel like eating melon anyhow."

"A melon will not save your life."

"Fine, then I give you my word that I will not steal melons anymore," then she caught his hard gaze on her, "or anything valuable."

But when Inutaisho removed the sword from it's sheath just an inch, Kasoti threw herself on her knees and began to beg. "Please, no don't kill me! I'm just a little girl, I'm only twelve winters old! Please don't end my life, human life is short as it is already! Please!"

"Then you should have thought of that before you committed your crimes. I shall have no mercy on crimes."

Kasoti shrieked and crawled up his legs until she hugged them and sobbed into them. "Then please just have mercy on me, I beg you! If you allow me to live, I will steal no more! I give you my word, My Lord, just let me live!"

"No mercy." He replied simply and deathly and removed his sword from its sheath. But the only thing he removed was air. That was because looking to his side, his sword was not dangling from his side as it should have been. By then the girl was peeled away from his legs and when he looked at her, who stood only inches away from him, she held his missing sword in one hand. "How did you..." he said baffled.

"What?" She said smirking at him, "You'd actually think I'll let you kill me that easy? I don't think so. And seeing as this sword looks very, very, important to you, I think I'll just keep it for myself."

"Hand me back my sword, human." He said warningly at her with a small growl.

"Or what." She demanded with a large grin on her face.

Inutaisho shot his hand out in demon speed to retrieve his belonging but was shocked to see the human girl remove his sword quickly away from his reach. Kasoti ripped a laugh from her throat and whipped around to run into the forest. Inutaisho let out an irritated growl as he had no choice but to chase the human now. He hoped he could catch her easily but seeing as how she quickly moved his sword away from his reach, everything he knew about humans was in doubt; at least with this one. In his chase Inutaisho hated to have doubts from now on because they were unpredictable, just like this human who kept dodging and misleading him in their chase. If he didn't know any better he'd say the girl was almost like part of the forest. He observed how her bare feet so confidently slapped on the moist ground, how her body moved so swiftly from side to side when she dodged low branches, and how her hand graced every tree trunk she passed. He couldn't get five feet close to her in the race without her having to change directions quickly and taking him into more unknown territory. Angered, he would not let this human defeat him. He gave one burst of demon speed straight to her back and let a small smile implant itself on his face as he knew he had gotten the human in her own game. But once again he was baffled when she managed to escape his demon speed and him as she side stepped quickly to the side with her back smacking against a tree. With no one in front of him to catch and not stopping in time his went down a very small cliff, landing in a small empty mud pit.

"Say, My Lord, can you tell me why this sword is so important to you? After all, it must be very valuable for you to chase me so far!"

"Silence you insolent girl! You have no right to question me!"

She looked down at him from atop the cliff and threw a smile at him. "Very well then, don't tell me but I'm also not stupid. I've known enough that things that seems rusty or useless turn out to be the best things. So this must be a demon sword in disguise. How much do you think this would be worth in the trade market?"

"I'll have you beheaded before you can take another step with my sword in your hand!" He threated her.

She lifted her leg slowly and then jumped to her left. "That's one step!" And she did it once more again, "Two steps, my head is still on!" And again, "Oh, five steps now!" A rock then smashed onto the upper right corner of her head. The impact was so strong that Kasoti's body tilted back and as she hit the ground the sword bounced out of her hand. After only a few moments of being unconscious, she struggled to her feet but couldn't stand up. So instead she crawled to the nearest tree and sat underneath it while hugging its massive trunk.

"You hit a girl!" She screamed at him angrily, with a trail of blood running down her head and cheek.

"You are fortunate, girl," he said retrieving his sword from the ground, "I aimed with enough force to truly behead you."

"Are you still going to kill me?" She asked softly and while looking at the ground.

Inutaisho inspected the girl as he returned his sword to its rightful place beside his thigh. Securing the sword to his obi more safely he asked her, "What's your name?"

"Kasoti."

"Last?"

"I don't have one," she replied, "I'm an orphan."

"Surely someone must've adopted you."

"If I was boy, then yes. But since I'm a girl, I'm not even worth a spec of dust." She lifted her head and stared at him, "You know, even if you do decide to kill me I won't let you."

"If you already know my answer, why ask?"

"Because I want to know for sure of who I must be aware of keenly. I plan to live my life to the fullest." She replied proudly. He sighed and walked towards her. But then she stopped him, "Don't you get close to me."

"I can't let you go unpunished. You have even committed murder on two men." He told her.

"Those men not only tried to hurt me, but other women as well!" She defended herself fiercely.

"You still committed murder."

Kasoti sighed and snuggled herself closer to the tree. Inutaisho watched as the child buried her head into the tree's bark. He knew that she was already planning how she would escape this situation. "Tell me," he asked before she managed to escape, "how exactly did you learn to move, or rather, act so fast?"

Kasoti removed her head from the tree and replied, "When I was younger I landed in a temple one night, you know for food and shelter, but it was no ordinary temple. This temple taught ancient martial skills and practices. One monk was kind enough to let me live them for almost my entire life and while I lived there I observed. And the forest I knew my whole life, which is why I have more advantage in my skills."

"I have decided your punishment. You will become one of my servants until the day I say you are free or until I die."

"But that's not fair!" She proclaimed.

"Or I can behead you now."

"Did I say it wasn't fair? What I meant is that is totally completely fair!"

Inutaisho smiled as he said, "Did the brave human finally see she has no chance against me?"

Kasoti glared at him as she replied hotly, "I know I can take you on any day, just not this day. You have injured me and you will take that as an advantage. And I don't give pleasure to my enemies."

"So I'm your enemy?" He replied with a light tone.

Kasoti knew the Demon Lord was mocking her because she was small but she didn't let it get to her. She stood with a stumble and loss of balance. But she quickly regained it to follow him as he had already started to leave. Following behind him she swore she would escape somehow. Of course it wouldn't be today or tomorrow or soon, because these things took time plan and achieve. For the meanwhile, Kasoti thought, I'll play his little game but one way or another it'll be me who will win at the end no matter the consequences.

* * *

It bothered him so much that his father would leave to be with his human lover. Because then it meant that his mother would complain to him, having no one else to complain to. And since his father had already been gone for five days, like he had not promised, not only his mother but he as well was angry. Leaving his mother alone in the family room he walked out for some fresh air. But the fresh air carried his father's scent...and a human's as well. Sesshomaru growled angrily, not believing that his father had the nerve of bringing his human lover to their home. He took his time walking to the front gates to meet his father but when he arrived, he was not excepting of what he had thought before. Beside his father a human child walked with a trail of blood encrusted down her cheek.

"Welcome home, father," Sesshomaru greeted him.

"You have a son?" Kasoti asked surprised. "I did not know that."

"Yes, his name is Sesshomaru. Son, this is Kasoti. She is our new servant." Inutaisho replied.

Sesshomaru looked disgustingly as Kasoti and then at his father, "We have enough servants, father. And she is just a pathetic child, she will not know how to do anything. Let's just dispose of her since knowing you, father, this was the human you were suppose to exterminate in the first place."

Kasoti began to glower and then said, "Lucky you, My Lord, you accomplished to have a cold hearted bastard of a Son."

Inutaisho held his hand up to his son to stop him as he saw what Sesshomaru clearly intended to do to Kasoti. Then he dropped his hand on Kasoti' shoulder and told her, "You are a servant now, and choose wisely with the words you speak. I will only tolerate you this once, no more."

Kasoti slapped his hand away, "I wasn't born to follow orders. And you are also no expectation. You're also just a cold hearted bastard and I wish you will die soon so I may be free once again."

Kasoti's kimono was snatched up from the front in a harsh hold which surprised her, but then angered her. She angrily pushed the person away and feeling that her hands had touched shoulders almost her height, it was Sesshomaru who had dared touch her. "You listen to me," she said pointing at him, "I'll warn you with this; people have a bad habit of underestimating me!"

"Kasoti," Inutaisho said, "you're pointing in the wrong direction."

Kasoti blinked and dropped her hand. She cleared her throat and set a hand on her injured forehead, "I guess this injury is making me disorientated. Maybe you should show me to my rooms so I may lay down and rest." She began to walk, not knowing where, but soon Inutaisho took the lead in front of her.


	2. Chapter 2

Kasoti had not left her room in days. Though she did it with great purpose. She tried to stick to her word as a servant her first day but it ended in disaster. While she was bringing a bucket of water from the river to prepare a bath for her lord, she had accidently walked into the courtyard and spilled the bucket of cold river water right onto Inutaisho son during his practice. Sesshomaru didn't hold himself back and let his hand smack into Kasoti's cheek. Kasoti stumbled back and gripping the bucket hard in her hand, she brought it down on Sesshomaru's head in a quick swing. The bucket shattered into pieces and Kasoti was literally running for her life for the rest of the day. Since that little accident Kasoti has kept to herself in her room for days.

With that said, Kasoti took out a piece of parchment paper, an ink bottle, and a brush. She was going to start to escape plan and outlining the property's grounds, she marked of what she knew already. From dawn to evening two soldiers guarded the front gates and then left, and from evening to dawn a new pair of soldiers would guard the front gates. The back gates where supplies would be delivered had the same cycle, but those gates constantly opened through out the day to all merchants. Those back gates would be a very good chance for her to slip out. As she was then marking down where soldiers would guard the property more her doors slid open. Kasoti slapped her hand hard on the wooden floor and then looked up at the intruder or rather, her young lord.

"Are you in need of something, My Lord?" Kasoti forced out through her mouth as she bowed.

"Not from you," he hissed at her and she bit her tongue. "I need you to go polish the weapons."

Kasoti looked at Sesshomaru cautiously now, "That's the job of a sword maker, not mine. I don't even know how to polish weapons, Sesshomaru-sama."

He smirked slightly as he replied, "Did I ask you if you knew how to polish weapons? Get to it before I dispose of you." He slammed the doors shut.

Kasoti knew Sesshomaru was trying to get her in trouble. She knew if she ruined a weapon that was very dear to Inutaisho he would most likely kill her. But little did Sesshomaru know that not only can Kasoti polish weapons, but she can also wield them perfectly. Of course, she thought as she walked out of her room, I won't let Sesshomaru know of what I am capable of. On her way to polish the weapons, she had to ask for directions of where they were. Kasoti couldn't believe of how big Inutaisho's home was. Finally arriving at the dojo, she walked into another room where the weapons were stored. Sighing, she tied her sleeves back and got to work.

* * *

"Who is she, anyhow?"

"She was the human my father was suppose to exterminate."

"She? But she is just a child! She could not have committed such crimes as killing and stealing."

"I wouldn't know."

She snapped her head towards her son, "Why did you say it like that, Sesshomaru?"

He looked at her, "Father said that the human girl stole tessaiga off him blindly. She then managed to outrun him and only caught her when he threw a stone at her head."

Sesshomaru's mother set one clawed finger on the side of her lip and thought. "Stole tessaiga and outran him? He must be joking, surely." Then she removed her claw and began to inspect it. "Where is she anyhow? I haven't seen her for days."

Sesshomaru kept his mouth close about the incident that happened on the first day with her, but did tell his mother proudly, "I sent her to polish the weapons."

"She knows how to polish weapons?"

Sesshomaru smirked, "I wouldn't know. But we'll find out soon."

Sesshomaru's mother clicked her claws as she smiled and said, "You hate her, don't you Son?"

"I despise her, mother."

"Good," she replied, "hate all humans, Sesshomaru. There are nothing but dirt underneath our feet."

"Ruining our Son I see. Nothing has changed."

Sesshomaru's mother tilted her head slightly and spat at Inutaisho without looking at him, "_You_ have changed. Wasting your time with pathetic humans."

"Only because you changed as well, mate." Then he added, "If you gave them the chance, you'd also waste your time on 'pathetic' humans."

"I only see them as a treat, mate." Sesshomaru's mother stood from where she was sitting, waved Inutaisho off, and walked out of the family room without sparing a glance at him.

"Where is Kasoti, Sesshomaru?"

"Polishing the weapons."

"She knows how to polish weapons?"

Sesshomaru shrugged and replied, "We'll find out later."

"Sesshomaru!" Inutaisho yelled at him angrily and turned to leave quickly. Sesshomaru dropped the scroll he was reading and followed his father with a small smile playing on his lips.

Kasoti's hands were black, red, pained, and injured from polishing. Kasoti could polish wonderfully but she was just too careless and impatient. Just like now, where Kasoti was polishing the last katana quickly so she could just finish already. She had started polishing from morning and now it was close to nightfall. Kasoti scowled at Inutaisho in her mind for owning so many weapons, and at Sesshomaru as well. Picking up a rag she began to clean the sword from the polish oil. She was wiping the sword's blade when she heard the doors to the dojo open. "Kasoti!" Kasoti jumped at the sound of her name. Inutaisho did not sound one bit happy. Giving one final big wipe to the blade she threw the rag aside, slid the katana sword into its sheath and set it back in its rightful place.

"Yes, My Lord?" Kasoti asked running out of the room.

Spotting her blackened and wounded hands he began to feel guilty. "Kasoti," he began, "you did not have to polish the weapons."

"Yes, you have even destroyed all the weapons haven't you." Sesshomaru stated. Inutaisho gave one angry look to his son and walked into the weaponry room. But he and Sesshomaru stood there amazed as the polished weapons gleamed back at them.

"How did you- do you know how to polish Kasoti?" Inutaisho asked, turning to Kasoti behind him.

"I may be impatient doing tiresome tasks, but in the end I can polish any weapon you throw at me, My Lord."

"Which would explain why her hands are destroyed," Sesshomaru mumbled to his father.

"You," Inutaisho said turning to his son, "are punished. Don't you even think of pleading to your mother about this either. Go to your room, you have disappointed me as a son."

Sesshomaru growled at his father quietly and turned to go angrily. Inutaisho sighed as he set one hand over his head and mumbled, "Where did I go wrong with that boy."

Kasoti opened her mouth to give him a smart retort, but then shut it as she knew it would not be right. Inutaisho seemed stressed enough as he was and she didn't want to bring him down anymore than he was already. Kasoti titled her head to the side as she inspected Inutaisho's back and then grabbed a bamboo sword from a stand behind her. She grabbed another and threw it at Inutaisho. He quickly caught the sword in his hand and stared at Kasoti as she walked to the middle of the dojo and redid her sleeves by ting them even higher.

"Monk always said that holding stress and problems in is bad. Monk always said to get rid of stress before stress can make you do mistakes in life. Let's spare, My Lord, it will relieve your stress and I'll refine in my skill."

"Spare with you?" He let out a chuckle.

Kasoti smacked the tip of the bamboo on the floor and said, "People have this bad habit of underestimating me. So go ahead and laugh, but I'll be the one laughing in the end when I crack this thing over your head, My Lord."

Inutaisho smiled and decided to take the child's challenge. After all, how threating can the child really be?...Apparently so, the child can be very threating after all! At first he was going easy on her but after five stabs to his chest he thought he should step his game on. So he did, and more he did, until he found himself really having a true sparing competition with the child. The child was quick and agile on her feet and the bamboo sword seemed like a part of her body, even when the thing was taller than her. But she still controlled the sword perfectly and dodged his strikes without a flaw. When Kasoti threw her strikes they were perfect and amazingly properly aimed. She knew where to strike on the body and how to dodge strikes with her own body. Inutaisho could see the child was a natural, and if not natural then perfectly trained in fighting. He began to wonder is she was just as good in fighting with her bare hands as she was skilled with swords. Distracted by his thoughts, Kasoti with her small height slid underneath between his open legs and jabbed the sword's end to his back.

"I win! This sword would have penetrated your heart, My Lord!"

"So It would have," he said without a bit of air. "How would you like to train to become one of my soldiers, Kasoti?"

Kasoti's pressure on the sword loosened, "A soldier? Me, a woman, as a soldier?"


	3. Chapter 3

"No," she said simply and quickly. She turned and put the sword away and untied her sleeves.

Inutaisho also put the sword away as he spoke, "But you have a natural skill, Kasoti. Why ever not?"

"Because there is something you seem to be missing, My Lord. I don't want to be your servant, I don't want to be one of your soldiers; I just don't want anything tying me to you. I want to be free."

"You'll be free when I die or when I say so," he told her sternly. "I may never say you are free to go and I may very well live to a thousands years or more."

Kasoti caught was he was saying to her and she replied softly to him, "I'd rather die being no one in life than to succumb to a master. As for your death you may very well die in thousands years, tomorrow night, or in three years. No one will ever really know. Goodnight, My Lord."

* * *

The next morning turned out to be very busy for Kasoti. Other servants were scurrying about cleaning the palace because new items were going to arrive for the home. At first Kasoti thought Inutaisho had probably bought a new imported carpet or perhaps new dining sets. But she was shocked to see wagon after wagon enter the palace's back gates filled with newly bought stuff. She even thought she could escape but she had no chance since Inutaisho was personally surveying every cart or wagon that entered. Then there wasn't much Kasoti could do either to help with cleaning, well there was a lot that she could do but avoided it with excuses. And Kasoti couldn't help but smile as every servant who asked, pleaded her, to do something had to walk off defeated and mumbling curses or saying how lazy and worthless Kasoti was. She didn't care because after all she wasn't born or created to be under someone else's orders...and she was too lazy to do anything. But passing the family room, Inutaisho's mate called for her.

"Yes Milady?" Kasoti asked peeking her head in through the doors instead of getting on her knees to bow properly.

Inutaisho's mate paid no mind to her rudeness, thinking the child was just raised incorrectly and a servant would soon teach her how to be a proper servant. "Fetch me some tea."

"Anything specific, Milady?" Kasoti asked to make sure she brought nothing that would disappoint her. After hearing rumors from servants that Inutaisho's mate liked humans as treats, she would keep her distance from her.

Inutaisho's mate thought for a moment with one clawed finger on the side of her mouth and then replied, "Surprise me. I'm feeling in the mood for something exhilarating."

"Tea doesn't sound very exhilarating to me." Kasoti said with a small laugh and then smacked her mouth shut with her own hand.

Her little outburst caused Sesshomaru to look up from the scroll he was reading and turn Sesshomaru's mother head to look at Kasoti. With her clawed finger she pointed it at Kasoti, "Are you that human who was terrorizing the Western Lands?"

"Terrorizing!" Kasoti repeated shocked. "That's how they thought of me? Just because I stole food and jumped bandits they thought I was terrorizing them!? How much more stupider can they be, honestly?"

"How much more stupider can you be by continuing to open your big mouth?" Sesshomaru spat at her.

"If I had another bucket in my hand right now, I'd break it on your precious manhood."

Sesshomaru shot a death glare at her and Kasoti felt a chill run up her spine. "Bucket?" Sesshomaru's mother said confused.

"Tea, will that be all Milady? I'll shall bring it up shortly." She said quickly and ran off before Sesshomaru could kill her.

Kasoti had no idea of where the kitchen was. So when a servant rushed passed her she quickly asked her where the kitchen was. But the servant gave her the directions so quick that Kasoti didn't quite understand them. Sighing, she thought she'd have to make the best of it with what she did understand. Turned out Kasoti had not heard almost everything wrong and she had found her way into the kitchen soon enough. Entering the kitchen she noticed it was empty. She began to think the cooks were probably with Inutaisho as maybe some wagons also imported fresh food to the home. Smacking her hand onto a counter, she sighed and got to making tea. While boiling water she remembered that Inutaisho's mate wanted an exciting tea. Remembering of a special tea the monks used to make when she was younger, she thought she'd make her that special tea as well. Walking over to a cabinet and smelling the spices and teas it held, Kasoti was quite happy to find it held the right teas and spices for her special tea. But as she turned and clashed her hip with the corner of a counter and then screamed with a bit of shock as Inutaisho startled her, she dropped the main spice needed for the tea.

"Are you alright?" He asked her as he walked over to pick up the spice. But it wasn't worth it because the spice broke loose from its bag and it was ruined.

"Do I look alright!" Kasoti yelled out of the shock she still had and the pain that was pulsing from her hip as she rubbed it. "I'm so sorry, My Lord, but this pain is making me angry." She then apologized with a quiet voice and punched her hurting hip out of anger as the pain wouldn't go away.

"That won't help remove the pain." Inutaisho said, mystified of why the child would hurt herself even more.

"Is the spice ruined?" She asked instead and removed her hands from her hip, trying to forget about it.

The spice was clearly broken out from the bag and it was spread all over the dirty floor. Inutaisho raised his eyes from the spice to tell her the bad news when he spotted something peculiar about her. Kasoti did not, or had not, even stared at the spice on the floor once. Instead she was looking away, into a wall, with pained blue distant eyes. But just as quickly as he saw her eyes so distant she snapped her head towards him and demanded, "What are you looking at? Is there something wrong, My Lord."

He shook his head slightly, "No, nothing's wrong. A merchant has just brought more spice of this kind. I'll have a cook send you a new bag."

With the promise of more spice, Kasoti retrieved the remainder of the ingredients in her arms and set them on a counter. Seeing the child occupied, Inutaisho turned reluctantly to go bring the child the spice she needed. When the spice arrived, Kasoti wasted no time in preparing the tea. Once finished, she grabbed the tray tightly in her hands and went to deliver the tea to Inutaisho's mate. Sliding the door wider with her foot, Kasoti walked in quickly and set the tray down on the small table. Then she wondered if servants served the tea as well or let them get their tea on their own. But after she heard the demanding, "Well?", from Inutaisho's mate Kasoti sighed softly and let her hand fall with a smack on the table.

Holding a cup of hot tea in her hand Kasoti said, "Here you go, Milady." Then handed her the cup of tea. Turning her head slightly to Sesshomaru she asked, "Would you like some, Sesshomaru-sama?" When she got no reply she knew he wanted none.

"Pay no mind to my Son, Kasoti, and tell me what in the world is this kind of tea!"

"You don't like it?" Kasoti replied with a shaky voice as images flashed in her head with Inutaisho's mate chewing on one of her disembodied arms.

"No silly child, it's absolutely wonderful! Never in my life have I ever tasted such an exquisite tea! Did you make this?" Inutaisho's mate spoke with much enthusiasm in her voice. Her enthusiasm caught Sesshomaru's attention.

"I did, Milady. It is an ancient recipe from the monks that I learned." Kasoti replied proudly, forgetting about her chewing on one of her arms.

Kasoti then heard a clatter of cups as Sesshomaru poured himself some tea. "It's spicy!" Sesshomaru said displeased and then added quietly, "But fresh as well..."

"Yes," Inutaisho's mate agreed, "but it's such a nice, calm spice and then it's a rush of freshness! It is hot, spicy, and cool and fresh! Goodness, how wonderful is this tea?"

"I hate it," Sesshomaru spat, set the cup down, and went back to reading his scroll.

"Mhm," Inutaisho's mate moaned softly, "Tell me, I would like to know how a child your size managed to catch bandits."

"Well Milady," Kasoti started explain, "it is not quite hard. You just wait until they go to sleep and smack a big rock over their heads while they sleep. Leaves them unconscious for a good couple of hours and everything they have is for your taking."

"That is an unfair fight." Sesshomaru commented.

"I just did what I had to do to survive, Sesshomaru-sama."

"And tell me as well," Inutaisho's mate said pouring herself a new cup of tea, "my mate explained you committed two murders."

"The first wasn't a murder!" Kasoti defended herself angrily. "The idiot didn't see the cliff behind him; I did not push him off the cliff like so many claimed. The second though I will not deny. The second man I had to kill because...because he had molested other children and me too, if I had let him."

"Tell me something I don't know." Sesshomaru commented again but this time irritated.

"My father was a demon." Kasoti said with a smile.

"You're human." Sesshomaru replied.

Kasoti looked at him and said, "True. I was adopted by him. He was a mole demon. But tragically he was killed when I was five." Kasoti then flung the tea accidently on Sesshomaru as she swung her hand while talking.

Sesshomaru let out an angry yell with a growl as the hot liquid splattered onto his chest. Kasoti shrieked with worry as she retrieved the tea pot from the floor and apologized to Sesshomaru repeatedly. "What have you done?" Sesshomaru's mother screamed angrily.

"I'm so very sorry, Milady! I will clean this up! Sesshomaru-sama, I am dearly sorry and I'll help you clean up! Milady, I will help your son with his burn spots, just please forgive me!"

"Forget about my son," she replied angrily, "look at what you have to such an exquisite tea! It is all ruined!"

"Mother!" Sesshomaru yelled disbelieving her.

"My tea!" She shrieked to him.

"I'm sorry!" Kasoti cried.

* * *

"Don't touch me!"

"I said I was sorry, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Go fetch my real servants to come cloth me!" He yelled at Kasoti and slammed the door to his bathing room as he entered.

Thumbs twiddling she went to go call for the servants but every single one was too busy. She managed to talk to one in the far corner hall about the situation that occurred, but all the servant did was prepare new clothing and give directions to Kasoti of how young Lord Sesshomaru liked to be dressed, and wear a blindfold if she liked. Then the servant rushed off as another called him to help bring in a new carpet. Thumbs twiddling more as she returned to Sesshomaru's room, she was even more nervous of how Sesshomaru would react when he finds out about the awkward situation that is about to occur.

"Where are my servants?" Sesshomaru demanded angrily from his bathing room after an hour passed.

"Sesshomaru-sama," Kasoti began nervously, "your servants are too busy to come cloth you. You have two options, Sesshomaru-sama, either you can dress yourself or I'll help you dress."

"You wouldn't even know how to dress a tree if it wore clothing!"

Kasoti set her hands on her hips angrily, "I would know, in fact, as I dress trees everyday! If it makes you feel any better, Sesshomaru-sama, a servant managed to tell me how I must dress you."

"Go away. You have caused me enough trouble. I will just wait here."

Sighing, Kasoti tied her sleeves up and grabbed the clothes that were laid out on the bed. "Sesshomaru-sama, I am coming I to dress you." She warned him.

"I said to go away you insolence human!"

"What if your father needs you for an emergency, Sesshomaru-sama, or your mother? What if the palace caught on fire, you would have to run out in the nude or stay there and roast yourself!" When she got no response she knew she had won. Sliding open the door, she walked in clearly unwelcomed as she heard Sesshomaru growl at her.

Ignoring him, Kasoti shoved his arms in through the sleeves of his shirt. Along with his growling a very light blush covered his cheeks. She then gave him his white hakamas so he may put them on himself and started preparing the obis that she would tie onto his body. She tied the first obi to hold his hakamas up and then began tying the second to hold his shirt closed. "Are you not quite bothered by helping an older man dress?" Sesshomaru finally broke the silence.

"Why would you ask that, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"You're still a child yet you are showing no emotion whatsoever. Have you already seen a man naked?"

"Just how old are you, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Fifteen."

Kasoti smiled slightly and replied as she gave one final pat on the nice bow of the obi, "You're not that much older than me. And no, I have not ever seen a naked man before in life."

Looking away from her, he growled slightly and smacked her hand away from his obi. "Get out."

Kasoti gave a small bow and walked out. On her way to the family room to clean the mess she left behind she untied her sleeves. But when she walked into the room she noticed the mess was gone. Thinking Inutaisho's mate told another servant to clean the mess, she was free. Smiling she turned to leave but a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Kasogi, was it," Inutaisho's mate asked.

"Kasoti." She corrected.

"Yes, Kasoti. Would you make more of that tea?"

Kasoti smiled and replied, "Yes, Milady."

She walked out quickly and on her way to the kitchen she passed Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru knew he blushed, at least a little, upon seeing Kasoti but noticed that Kasoti paid no mind to his blush. Any other servant would have bowed her head to hide their smile but Kasoti did none. She kept walking forward with a straight face. _There is something not quite right about her_, Sesshomaru began to think as he watched her go, _and I must find out what is it_.


	4. Chapter 4

Kasoti was doing her job as a true servant by washing clothes. She figured that if kept up with her excuses, sooner or later she was going to regret it. With no choice at the end, she was washing clothing. She managed to wash almost half the servant's kimonos when a guard interrupted her. The guard told her that young Lord Sesshomaru wanted to see her immediately in the dojo. She asked the guard for what reason, but the guard just gave a shrug and walked away. Kasoti sighed as she stood and headed to the dojo taking her time. Entering the dojo she tripped slightly and cursed, then smoothed her kimono down angrily until Sesshomaru's voice stopped her.

"My father said you have an 'excellent' skill for sparing. Pray it is true for your life may end."

"Sesshomaru-sama," Kasoti began tiredly, "why don't you spare with your father instead?"

"He is gone with his lover."

Kasoti slapped her hand on the wall behind her and then retrieved a bamboo sword. "I'll spare with you, but for a deal."

Sesshomaru snorted at her, "How dare you demand a deal from a demon?"

"It's not a bad deal at all, Sesshomaru-sama," Kasoti said tying her sleeves up, "just tell me of why your father has a lover when he already has a mate."

Kasoti was surprised when Sesshomaru lashed at her with his sword, giving her barely enough time to stop it with her own sword. "How should I know why he has a lover?" He said as he lunged at her again. "All I know is that he fell for a pathetic mortal. He claims I dishonor him but he does not see that he dishonors himself even more."

Kasoti dodged a swing from Sesshomaru's sword and she took her chance to plunge her sword quickly into his shoulder. The hit was strong enough to make him stumble a few steps back. "Anger can make your skill become blind. Thus making it easy to kill you." She advised him.

He paid no mind to her advice and he angrily slashed and plunged his word at her. But Kasoti dodged the sword and deflected it with her own sword with every strike he gave at her until she kneeled and swung her sword into his rib cage. The hit made Sesshomaru once again stumble to his side this time as he grasped at his ribs. He then removed his hand and began to slash at Kasoti even faster and angrier. But every single time he slashed at her he missed until Kasoti interlocked their swords, swung her foot out and whipped away the young lord's legs from underneath him. He fell onto his back with a loud grunt. Not giving up, Sesshomaru swung his own leg out to trip Kasoti as well but Kasoti was faster and smacked the sword into his shin. Sesshomaru barked a yell in pain as he curled into a fetal position on the floor holding his leg.

"Um," Kasoti began nervously as she looked at the young demon curled on the floor, "a-are you sure you haven't just begun your training, Sesshomaru-sama? This seems- it doesn't seem right seeing you on the floor like that."

"My training began two weeks ago!" He shouted at her angrily.

Kasoti began to laugh at him, "So you're one of those people who are just big in talk and small in action! Sesshomaru-sama you should have just told me the truth so you wouldn't have ended in this much pain."

"I am not in pain!" Sesshomaru declared as he stood up quickly with a small limp noticeable. He ripped his sword away from Kasoti's hand and resumed their sparing.

This time though Sesshomaru would listen to the advice Kasoti offered and Kasoti took care in not going easy on him but also not going too hard on him. Soon both were in a rhythmic dance of sparing. And if Sesshomaru didn't know any better he'd say he was learning a lot more in that one day than he learned in two weeks with his previous sensei. Curious of how the human child knew more than him he asked her.

"I lived with monks who they knew ancient martial skills. Though they never taught me, I learned by watching and by a kind monk who quite liked me a lot." She replied.

"I would like to visit the temple someday."

"You can't," she replied blocking a strike. "The temple was burned down..."

Sesshomaru loosened his hold on the sword when Kasoti didn't continue the story and said, "That is it? I feel that there is more to the story."

"No, that is it Sesshomaru-sama."

"You're lying."

Kasoti looked at the ground and said quietly, "I'm just a servant, nothing more. My life is nothing to you, Sesshomaru-sama. When I'm free or something more, perhaps I shall tell you the complete story. I will now retire, Sesshomaru-sama."

"You shall not," he replied angrily, "not until one of us looses."

With no encouragement Kasoti blocked Sesshomaru's strikes with no effort. Fed up, Kasoti ducked from Sesshomaru's swing at her head and twirled behind him where she twisted Sesshomaru's arm behind his back. Sesshomaru's sword slipped out of hand as his arm was pulled backwards. In an effort to get his arm back he tried to bring his arm back forward. It came forward alright but with Kasoti attached to his hand, where Kasoti then crushed his arm into his chest and tumbled on top of him as she lost her footing. Sesshomaru landed on his back once again but this time with Kasoti sitting on top of him. Then Sesshomaru noticed something about the girl as he gazed up at her. Kasoti had a very confused look on her face with her eyes just staring forward. And as her eyes stared forward they seemed almost...empty. He even noticed that her hands on his chest were shifting in weight, almost as if she was feeling him.

"I win!" Kasoti burst out as she looked down on him with a large smile, breaking Sesshomaru out of his thoughts.

"Get off me." Sesshomaru set his hand on her chest and push her backwards and off him. Kasoti landed on her back but then sat up quickly giggling.

"I will be going now, Sesshomaru-sama. I still have many duties to attend before supper tonight." Kasoti stood, bowed, and left.

* * *

Kasoti was avoiding a duty that a servant gave her to accomplish. To get away from doing her duty Kasoti slipped out of the servant rooms. Then passing the kitchen Kasoti stuck her hand out and stole a apple into her sleeve. Once away from the kitchen she took the apple out of her sleeve and took a great bite out of it. She walked out of the palace and walked it's outside halls. And since Kasoti was still not very familiar with the home she stumbled outside Inutaisho's room where she heard angry screams emit from the room. It was Sesshomaru and his mother who were fighting. Hiding to the side of the door, Kasoti took a slow bite from her apple as she concentrated on listening.

"I'm tired of seeing your father with another woman," Sesshomaru's mother would constantly say.

Then Sesshomaru himself would reply, "I don't want you to leave mother! I do not want to be left alone with the bastard of my father!"

Then her teeth glued themselves into her apple when the doors were slammed opened. Kasoti ripped the apple away from her mouth and said, "I was not spying, honest.

"You are beside the wall with your ear against the wall." Sesshomaru's mother declared angrily.

Kasoti removed her ear from the wall quickly. "Sorry, I was just curious Milady. I shall be going on my way now."

"Kasoti," Sesshomaru's mother stopped her, "I have an errand for you."

"Errand?" Kasoti repeated quietly and confused. "Exactly what kind of errand, Milady."

Sesshomaru's mother grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her into the room. Kasoti stumbled inside with the young lord catching her before she fell onto the ground. "Listen carefully," Sesshomaru's mother began, "as you know my mate fell in love with a mortal human. He now barely acknowledges his own son. I am sending Sesshomaru to train with my brother. And you Kasoti are to accompany him as his loyal servant."

"Accompany him as his loyal servant?" Kasoti said in outrage. "Milady, I don't want to be anyone's servant! Not to mention that I live here, in the western lands, and I have no doubt that you are sending me much father away."

"What an excellent mind you have," Sesshomaru's mother replied smiling. "That will be a great use while serving under my son."

"I don't want to serve under your son!"

Sesshomaru's mother clamped her hand on Kasoti's face and squeezed her face hard as she spoke venomously, "You should be honored to serve under such a great demon, my son, and a lord. And you shall accompany him as his loyal servant until the day your wretched life ends."

Kasoti groaned in pain and then replied angrily, "We shall see."


	5. Chapter 5

The next day Kasoti prayed with all her might that Lord Inutaisho would return to plead him that she did not want to go, but he never did. She had no choice but to start packing the two kimonos she only owned. She could also do nothing because she was under Inutaisho's mate orders. There was only one thing she could do and the matter was if she could accomplish it. Because with this option it either meant she was freed...or freed from life. What could she do? After all she said it herself before, she'd rather die than be commanded by a master. Slinging the sack containing her few belongings, she walked out of her room knowing exactly what she was going to do. She walked into the courtyard slowly and observed one horse already prepared for the journey. Then she grinned, thanking her good luck that she was beginning to have. Only three guards and two servants cared and loaded the poor horse. They should have known better then to leave me unsupervised, Kasoti thought cunningly as she sprang from her spot toward the horse. There she disarmed the guards and even choked one guard with her sack. The servants having no knowledge of fighting ran for their lives. Kasoti ripped a laugh of victory from her throat as she mounted the horse in one jump and rode quickly out the gates.

But her plan was spoiled when the young lord appeared running beside the horse with the angriest expression upon his face Kasoti has ever seen. Kasoti then snapped the reins of the horse, determined not to get caught. The horse picked up its speed with a whine but still the young lord did not part from the horse's side. By now Kasoti was so determined to escape that she jumped off the horse! She planned to land on her feet but she did not, and her ankles twisted and gave way down a dirt bank. Kasoti desperately tried to grab onto anything to stop her from sliding down any further but anything she grabbed she lost a hold of it. She tumbled down the dirt bank until she reached the bottom and even though she was terribly disorientated, she stood and made a dash into the forest. Her feet once again pounded on the moist dirt but she did not dodge any low branches and she let them scrape and smack her face. Then one particular branch smacked into her face so hard that the leaves were swiped clean off the branch and a tree just ahead had it's bark chipped off with good chunks.

"Dear God!" Kasoti screeched in pain. "Is this damn tree made of stones?" Kasoti had crashed into a tree and it was very apparent since there was a purple bulge right in the center of her forehead. And the pain of the purple bulge was so terrible that it had her on her knees and crying in pain.

"This would not have happened to you if you had tried to escape." Sesshomaru said as he approached her.

Kasoti looked up at him and replied, "Why me? Can't you choose another human to accompany you, Sesshomaru-sama? After all look at me, look how much trouble I will cause you!"

"You will not cause me anymore trouble after this because," he grabbed her arm and hauled up from the forest floor, "if you try to escape once more, I will not hesitate to kill you." He grabbed her throat and added coldly, "And I promise I will take joy from your slow death."

Kasoti removed his hand from her throat and she hissed at him, "_Yes, Milord_."

Sesshomaru let a smile graze his lips, knowing he now had the human under his full control. The only things he did not like about the girl is that she loathed him. For some odd reason, it slightly hurt Sesshomaru to know that the human loathed him. He raised his hand and squeezed her face momentarily, then pushed her back angrily. "Go bathe yourself. I will not have a filthy servant serve beside me."

"Yes, _Milord_." Kasoti spat at him and went to clean herself at a pond behind her.

* * *

Kasoti was more than angry, she was furious! Not only had she been caught but her life now rested in the hands of a young demon who she was sure that he still had wet dreams. To make things even worse, the horse had been lost and she had to walk beside or behind the young demon. In fact, she had been walking from morning till midafternoon without a single break. Her feet hurt and her legs ached and she let out a sigh of annoyance.

"Can you give me a flower?"

Sesshomaru stopped walking and he glared at her. "I do not fancy you, you disgusting human."

Kasoti sighed again and replied irritated, "I don't care if you do or do not fancy me, Sesshomaru-sama. I just want a flower to touch so it may calm my nerves right now."

"Get it yourself."

"I can't."

"Why not?" He questioned her angrily.

"Because," Kasoti began to stutter, "um well, I-I'm. My back hurts to bend down to get a flower."

"I care why?"

"Just give me a flower dammit!" Kasoti screeched at him furiously and desperately. Then she added nicely, "Please?"

"You are such a complete idiot."

"I'm not a complete idiot, Sesshomaru-sama, some parts are just missing."

"I have no idea why I let my mother persuade me to take you with me. By now I would have been halfway to our destination and we aren't even a quarter there. I should probably dispose of you right now." He complained to her.

Kasoti smiled at him and said meekly with her hand shooing away softly, "Would you, you know, like me to go, Sesshomaru-sama? I can just leave now and, you know, this little problem of yours would be over. You'll also, you know, be halfway there to your Uncle's." But Kasoti's nose wrinkled itself as a flower was shoved into her face. She sighed taking the flower into her hand, "I guess that's a no..."

As nightfall came Sesshomaru let Kasoti take the night for her to rest up. Kasoti took no time to waste as she made herself comfortable underneath a tree. She began to rub her eyes a great deal. After a few minutes she stopped and sighed and closed her eyes to sleep. But she was so tired, that trying to sleep was difficult for her. She turned on her side and then her other side until she managed to get little sleep when she laid on her stomach. Then she was awake, clearly feeling the sleepiness tingling in the back of her head but she just couldn't sleep. She began to dig her fingers into the dirt, or feel the grass, and pick at the stones that were buried in the dirt. And she thought and thought. She thought so much in fact that Sesshomaru noticed the hard concentration on her face. He was curious to ask her of what she was thinking of but he remembered the saying his mother had told him; curiosity killed the cat. So he closed his eyes instead and leaned his head back on the tree.

After a while Kasoti noticed Sesshomaru fall into a light sleep. Picking up her head carefully from the ground, she knew this was her only chance to escape. She began to lift herself from the floor as quietly as she could manage. Once standing she began to walk away and noticing that after a couple of steps, the dirt was so moist it made no noise. So she dug her toes into the dirt and made a bolt for it. But her bolt didn't go very far as she stepped on Sesshomaru's legs and fell right on top of him. I miscalculated, Kasoti began to cry in her mind, I ran in the wrong direction! How much more stupider can I be? He will very probably kill me or worse, torture me! I am doomed! But lost in her thoughts and awaiting a blow or smack to her, she didn't notice what Sesshomaru was doing. He was waving his hand right in front of her face.

"Are you blind?" He asked quite flabbergasted but at the same sounding as if he knew already.

This snapped Kasoti out of her thoughts and replied sounding tensed, "B-blind? What are you talking about, I'm not blind! I just-I just couldn't see in the dark that's all, Sesshomaru-sama."

"The moon is full out," he almost shouted at her, "even a human should be able to see fine."

"Well I can't," she shouted back, "I can't see!"

"So you are blind."

"No!" Kasoti cried as she scrambled off Sesshomaru. "That's not what I meant! I meant I can't see right now in the dark!"

"What's the color of your hair."

"Black of course."

"The color of your eyes."

"Blue."

"The color of your kimono."

Kasoti gulped and replied slowly to his question, "Red?"

"Fortunate guess."

"It wasn't a guess, Sesshomaru-sama. I am not blind!" Kasoti defended herself. Then she sat underneath her tree again and hugged her knees to her chest. Her eyes dropped to the floor and after what seemed a lifetime pass she whispered, "If I tell you I'm blind will you kill me?"

"I would," he replied. Kasoti hearing this hid her face in her knees. Then he added, "But after what I have seen you can do, even blind, you are quite...extraordinary."

"I'm not extraordinary," she muffled out, "I'm lame. I can spare with the best samurai in japan or kill the most powerful demon and I would still be lame at the end."

"How do you do it?" He asked.

"See even though I am blind? I don't see, I feel and imagine. Thumping noise or clicking noises can give me an OK outline of the world."

"An outline?"

She raised her head from her knees. "Yes, just an outline without details. But it's enough to let me live as normally as any other human. And some days...its just not enough."

"Were you born blind?"

Kasoti smiled and said, "You ask to many questions, Sesshomaru-sama." She heard him scoff at her reply and she smiled even more. Then she laid back down on the ground with her back facing him. "I was born blind," she whispered to him, "I don't even know what blue or red looks like. It's the very same reason I told my father to stop describing the world to me because what was the use if I didn't even know what the color white was. Sesshomaru-sama..."

"Hm?"

"I plead you to not tell anyone...and to keep treating me as you were. I don't want special treatment just because I am lame. At least in my mind let me dream that I am not lame and that I am as normal and disgusting as any other human."

"Annoying and bothersome as well."

"Am I that bad?" She asked gigging.

"I've come across rotting bodies that are less offensive than you are."

"And here I thought you were bad," she sneered at him, "but you are much, much worse than I thought. You should do some soul searching, Sesshomaru-sama, you might just find one."

It was beginning to irritate him that she was winning their conversations and to throw the girl into the fire and shut her up he replied rather cocky, "At least I wasn't born blind."

He almost smiled when he heard no reply from the girl. He let out a sigh and leaned his head back on the tree. **_He had a feeling things were going to change between him and the human now that he knew her secret._**


End file.
